No Smoking Inside! Baloney!

A while ago I discovered a kitchen device that I pull out happily a few times each year. Again with the smoking Denny? Yes. Especially with smoked fish like trout or salmon it’s overkill to fire up the outside smoker for a 15-20 minute cook time. This stovetop smoker is the answer to a quick and easy smoked fish. You can use it for other things too but I like what it does for a trout. You can put the in whole fish or two or three (cleaned of course), drop in some wood chips and smoke away for like 20 minutes. Make sure you use a light wood like alder for the smoke. Hickory or Mesquite will overwhelm the fish. The result…a nice brown on the outside, smoky on the inside fish.     Your house may smell a little smoky for a few minutes but, is that a bad thing? I like this smoker so much, it was one of the cooking implements I did not give away but rather carried it with me to Kenya and back. I think it cost about $45. it puts smoke flavor into meat so fast I’m thinking that that pork butt recipe could be finished well with about 5 minutes in the stovetop smoker. That’s the time for the hickory or mesquite. You can buy the wood chips at any good barbecue store or use the link below.

Secret Gourmet Store?

I love a bargain. I think deep down inside, we all do. The thrill of finding a $5.00 bottle of Chilean Cabernet that tastes as good as that $30 bottle of Rombauer...doesn't that feel good? Well we're not talking about wine here but I found a place that you most likely wouldn't think of when you go shopping for specialty items. Here goes...TJ Maxx. Do you even know they carry food? I didn't. But in the kitchen section there is at least one row of shelves with some great bargains. I've been the the one in Fremont, San Jose, and Dublin and they're all great for gourmet bargain hunters. You can find exotic spices like pink Himalayan salt and saffron. There are even fancy bottled waters there. But the highlight of my trips to TJ Maxx are the oils and vinegars. They have wonderful olive oils that are much less expensive than if you went to a "normal" store. They also have a great selection of balsamic vinegar. I found a bottle of aged balsamic vinegar from Modena (that's where the Ferrari factory is) that can be used as a dip or even in some wild desserts. That small bottle retails for $16 but can be had at TJ Maxx for around $7. There have been a couple of nights lately where I've been tempted to just eat bread with olive oil and vinegar...and did. What else? I found a large bottle of grapeseed oil which is good for you and has a higher smoke point than olive oil (meaning you can cook at higher temperatures with it).

One tip I will give you is that olive oil does not last forever. So, to make sure you're getting the best, buy a bottle with darker glass or even better, covered with paper. That way the chances of sun damage are much less. Mine was wrapped in brown paper and tasted great.

Finally, if anyone ever sees a recipe from Jamie Oliver for berry crumble made with basil and balsamic vinegar, please send it to me. I saw it on TV once but have not been able to find it since.

Enjoy the kitchen section of TJ Maxx...I do.  ...and don't worry, the clientele of TJ Maxx is nothing like the people of Walmart.  LOL

Kuku Wa Kupaka (Guest Blog)

This past weekend we were treated to two days and nights at Sweetwaters Tented Camp (which is nothing like camping – the tents are totally luxurious.) We had a wonderful, restful time and ate some great food.  Hugs and kisses to the very special ladies who so generously gave us this gift. 

The last night we were there they did a Kenyan night and served foods from the different areas and tribes.  My favorite dish comes from the coast – Mombasa.   Here is the recipe:

Kuku wa kupaka (Chicken in coconut sauce) *

2 - 3 lbs of chicken cut into pieces

1 tsp. garlic paste

1 tsp. ginger paste

1 Tbs. Oil

Juice of 1 lemon

Marinade chicken pieces in garlic, ginger, lemon & oil mixture for 1 to 2 hours.

1 Tbs. oil or butter

1 finely chopped onion

1 finely chopped tomato

1 finely chopped fresh green chili

2 cups coconut milk

½ tsp. turmeric

1 Tbs. salt (or to taste)

½ cup chopped cilantro (or to taste)

Sauté onion in oil or butter; add chopped tomato, chili, coconut milk, turmeric, and salt. Stir over medium-low heat until sauce thickens.  Set aside.

Roast chicken in an oven for 10 – 15 minutes until cooked.  Place chicken in a casserole dish and pour the sauce over it.  Return to oven for 10 minutes.  Take from oven and garnish with chopped cilantro.  Serve with rice or chapatti.